Juan Martín del Potro was born in Tandil, Argentina to parents Daniel del Potro, who played semi-professional rugby in Argentina, and Patricia, a teacher. Del Potro began playing tennis at age 7, but his career did not come into sharp focus until he caught the attention of former Italian tennis pro Ugo Colombini who still serves as his agent and close friend. As a junior player he once said his dream was to win a Grand Slam which he did when he defeated Roger Federer at the US Open in 2009. One of Del Potro’s more well-known nicknames is “Enano”, used in a tongue-in-cheek way given that he is so tall.